Imagine sinking your teeth into fall-off-the-bone tender chicken legs, dripping with rich, smoky barbecue sauce - and all without spending hours at the grill! This Instant Pot Barbecue Chicken Legs recipe is your secret weapon for delivering restaurant-quality flavor in mere minutes. Whether you're a busy home cook craving a quick weeknight dinner or looking to impress your guests with minimal effort, this recipe promises to transform ordinary chicken legs into a mouthwatering masterpiece that will have everyone asking for seconds.
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 25 mins
Cuisine: American
Serves: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 6 chicken legs
- 1 cup barbecue sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Remove chicken legs from refrigerator and pat dry completely with paper towels to ensure crisp skin and better sauce adherence.
- Season chicken legs generously with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika, making sure to coat each leg evenly on all sides.
- Turn Instant Pot to "Sauté" mode and heat olive oil until shimmering, creating a hot surface for initial chicken browning.
- Carefully place seasoned chicken legs into hot Instant Pot, browning each side for approximately 2-3 minutes to develop rich golden color and initial flavor.
- Pour barbecue sauce evenly over browned chicken legs, ensuring each piece is well-coated and sauce covers bottom of pot.
- Close Instant Pot lid, set valve to sealing position, and select "Manual" or "Pressure Cook" mode at high pressure for 15 minutes.
- Once cooking cycle completes, allow natural pressure release for 5 minutes, then carefully perform quick release for remaining pressure.
- Using meat thermometer, verify internal chicken temperature has reached 165°F (74°C) for safe consumption.
- Optional: For crispy exterior, place chicken legs on baking sheet and broil for 2-3 minutes, watching carefully to prevent burning.
- Let chicken rest for 3-5 minutes before serving to allow juices to redistribute, ensuring maximum tenderness.
Tips
- Pat the chicken legs completely dry before seasoning to ensure maximum flavor absorption and crispy skin.
- Don't skip the browning step - it adds incredible depth of flavor and creates a beautiful golden exterior.
- Use a meat thermometer to confirm the internal temperature reaches 165°F for food safety.
- For extra crispy skin, consider a quick broil after pressure cooking.
- Let the chicken rest after cooking to allow juices to redistribute, ensuring each bite is incredibly juicy.
- Choose a high-quality barbecue sauce that complements the smoky paprika seasoning.
- If you prefer less sauce, you can always add more after cooking to suit your taste.
Nutrition Facts
Calories: 170kcal
Carbohydrates: 9g
Protein: 22g
Fat: 10g
Saturated Fat: 3g
Cholesterol: 80mg
